Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL Plc) has recorded a milestone in 2025, closing the year with over ₦100 billion in approved credit guarantees for agricultural and agribusiness investments across the country.
The achievement marks the highest annual finance facilitated by the institution and signals growing confidence in Nigeria’s agricultural value chains.
The milestone reflects NIRSAL’s expanding role in de-risking agriculture, enabling financial institutions to lend to sectors previously considered too risky.
Through its credit guarantee framework, NIRSAL has helped unlock funding for activities across production, processing, storage, logistics, and export, strengthening access to finance for agribusinesses nationwide.
NIRSAL’s performance earned it the MSME Agrifinance Enabler of the Year Award at the 2nd MSME Finance & CEO Awards held in Lagos.
The recognition highlights the institution’s impact in building investor confidence and supporting Nigeria’s small and medium-scale agribusinesses.
Speaking at the event, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Sa’ad Hamidu, stated that the achievement reflects the strength of structured risk-sharing models and effective collaboration with financial institutions.
He noted that NIRSAL’s focus is not on accolades but on attracting partners who share its vision of building a resilient, profitable, and inclusive agricultural economy.
Through partnerships with commercial banks and other financial institutions, NIRSAL has supported critical segments of the agricultural value chain, including input supply, primary production, agro-processing, storage, warehousing, and commodity exports.
Its technical assistance, field monitoring, and project mapping initiatives have further strengthened confidence among lenders, helping to bridge the long-standing financing gap in agriculture.
The institution has now signed 41 master agreements with financial partners committed to scaling agricultural lending, reflecting growing trust in its risk management and credit guarantee framework.
Beyond conventional finance, NIRSAL is strengthening Nigeria’s access to climate funding. As a Delivery Partner to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the institution is supporting nationwide capacity development programmes aimed at unlocking climate finance for agriculture and building resilience against climate risks.
Its refined support model for sub-national governments and agribusiness clusters includes improved farmer onboarding, soil testing, mechanisation support, and data-driven production planning to boost output and sustainability.
As it prepares for 2026, NIRSAL says it will deepen partnerships, expand its finance facilitation footprint, and continue supporting climate-smart agriculture.
“Our journey is far from over,” Hamidu said. “We will continue to innovate, strengthen partnerships, and scale solutions that unlock finance and reduce risk across Nigeria’s agricultural sector.”
Source: Leadership News
Image Credit: The Guardian News
